Milk bottle filler attachment



Aug. 29, 1939. Q Q BARGER I 2,171,386

MILK BOTTLE FILLER ATTACHMENT Filed June 6, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 myawy I BY mfg Aug. 29, 1939. c. o. BARGER MILK BOTTLE FILLERv ATTACHMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1938 NVENTOR ATTORNEYS zal 5 Aug. 29, 1939.

C. O. BARGER MILK BOTTLE FILLER ATTACHMENT Filed June 6, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE 2,171,386 MILK BOTTLE FILLER ATTACHMENT Charles 0. Barger, Kent, Wash. Application June 6, 1938, Serial No. 212,203

3 Claims.

This invention relates to bottle feeding attachments for filling machines and more particularly to a device of this character for feeding milk bottles into convenient handling position relative to the fillingmeans.

The invention has for its principal object to provide an attachment for handling and feeding the bottles to be filled whereby to increase the speed of the filling operation with minimization in manual labor incidental thereto and under improved sanitary conditions.

Other objects and advantages will more fully appear in tion.

The invention consists in the general structure and in the particular parts and combinations and to be attained the following descriparrangements of parts thereof as hereinafter described and set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical adaptation of the invention, and in which Figure l is alongitudinal vertical section, showing the tiltable table in position for initially receiving the crated bottles to be iilled;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the table with crated bottles thereon and moved to feeding position with relation to the filling machine;

Figure 3 is a top plan View with the tiltable table in position as shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional View through the tiltable table and adjacent portions of the supporting frame showing the pivotal mounting provision; i

Figure 5 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing the tiltable table in rested position and the bottles as being fed therefrom, and also illustrating the circuit wiring and controlling provision for operating the motor of the device;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, taken on or about the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a section on the line 'I-'I of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a sectional view similar to Figure 6 but taken on the line 6--8 of Figure 1; and

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Referring now to the drawings the numeral 50 II) designates the work table of any milk bottle filling machine, on which table the bottles are initially received, said table being merely illustrated conventionally in the drawings,

The attachment of the present invention com- 56 .prises a stand including upright frames II at its opposite sides which are connected by suitable cross members I2 or footing portions I3,

some distance above the base the top portions of the side frame members II being connected by a the bottle receiving table I0 of the filling machine when the attachment of the present invention is cooperatively positioned in working relation to the filling ma- Shelf I4 which is flush with chine.

Pivotally mounted on the supporting frame or stand is a tiltable table I5 comprising a generally iiat plate portion attached at its opposite ends to triangular members I6, which latter are porting shelf for an electric frame is further braced by connecting plate motor I8 the function of which -will be later described. The table the provision of a I9 between the triangular members I 6 and located adjacent the inclined edge portions of said members I6 The pivotal mounting of at one side thereof. the table I5 is effected through the instrumentality of headed studs 20 constituting removable trunnions which are inserted through apertured bearing portions 2I provided at the top portions of the side frame members II and into aligned bores 22 provided therefor -in the adjacent table frame and there securely fastened by set-screws 23.

location of the pivotal axis Due to the of the table frame close to the plane of the plate portion I5 of the; table and the preponderance of the weight of the motor I8 angular end and other parts carried by the trimembers I6 andthe weight being Vdisposed at one side of the-axis, there is an overbalancing effect which tends to move the table to the raised position in Working relation to the bottle receiving table Il] of the lling machine, as shown in Figure 2, in which position of the tiltable table I5 projecting portions 24 at opposite corners of the table rest upon stop lugs 25 provided by cutting away the adjacent portions I4 of the shelf member I4 'to expose the end portions of a cleat 25 secured on the underside ofsaid shelf member I4,

by which provision overtravel of the tiltable table is prevented when `it swings to the raised position, and at the same time the table is free to swing in direction when force is appli to as will be later described.

the opposite ed manually there- The table plate portion I5 is provided at opposite sides with enlargements 26 of round cross section, said enlargements having longitudinal bores therethrough in which shafts 2'I and 28 are rotatabl an opposed pair of y fitted, said shafts having sprocket wheels 29 and 30, respectively, fixed thereon and located in cut-out portions 3| provided therefor in the table top I5, each pair of sprocket wheels 29 and 3D being connected by an endless chain 32, the upper stretches of said chain 32 being countersunk in transverse grooves 33 provided in the top` side of the plate member I5. Thep air of endless chains 32 are cross- Connected by a multiplicity of cleats 34 and constituting a conveyor for the milk bottles as will presently more fully appear, said cleats being relatively thin and beveled on their forward edge portions, as at 35, so as to ride under the bottles when held against movement thereabove, but being also of ample thickness to engage the bottles and move them along when not so held.

For driving the endless conveyor just above described, the motor IS on the cross member II of the table frame is belted to the conveyor shaft 21, as at 36, and provision is preferably made to automatically start the motor when the tiltable table is moved to its raised position and to stop the motor when Athe table is moved from such position. For this purpose, as shown more or less conventionally in the drawings, the motor circuit includes anextension cord 31 which is plugged into the usual electrical outlet, said cord including' one wire 38 leading directly to the motor and another wire 39 leading through an on and oi switch 4D and thence through a wire 4I to the terminal element 42 of an automatic switch element 43, the opposite terminal 44 of which is connected by a wire 45 to the motor. The 'two terminal elements 42 and 44 of the automatic switch are conventionally shown as spring tongues and the element 42 is provided with an insulated button 45 which is normally projected through an opening 4l provided therefor in one of the stop lugs 2,5 the under side of the shelf member I4 of ythe table stand. The normal set of the resilient terminal elements 42 and 44 is such that the constant tendency is for them to move apart except when the adjacent projecting portion 24 of the table is brought to bear upon the button 46 of the element 42 as the table is moved into its raised position as shown in Figure 2, said elements 42 and 44 springing apart as the table is moved to its lowered portion as shown in Figure l, in which position the bottles to be iilled are initially applied to the table as will now be described.

In the tilted posi-tion of the table as shown in Figure l, stop members 48, provided on the inclined edge portions of the triangular frame members I6 and having beveled end portions 49, engage the under side of the shelf member I4 of the stand, by which provision over travel of the table is prevented and the table held steady while the bottles are being applied to the table, the bottles being contained in the open-work cases or crates 49 in which 'they have been cleansed and brought to the machine for filling.

It is here noted that the bottles are placed in inverted position in the crate for the cleansing operation, said crate having cage-like interior structure for holding the bottles in spaced relation to each other so that the external surfaces of the bottles as well as the interior surfaces are exposed to the action of the cleansing fluid.

To place the bottles upon lthe table I5 the latter is moved manually to the position shown in Figure l of the drawings and the crate containing the empty bottles is pressed against the table and supported against downward endwise movement by shoulder or cleat portion 50 extending lengthwise of one edge portion of the table, and while still pressing the case upon the table force is exerted to swing the table on its trunnions 20 to the closed position as shown in Figure 2. At this time the automatic switch button 46 is depressed by the engaging extension 24 of the table, thereby closing the circuit and starting the motor I 8, and as soon as the crate 49 is lifted from about the bottles 5I the endless chain conveyor moves the bottles towards the receiving table IIJ of the filling machine.

The bottles 5I continue to move as a group until arrested on the receiving table I D, whereupon the cleats 34 of the conveyor ride under the bottles remaining on the tiltable table I5.

As the preceding bottles become lled and are moved out of the way the following bottles are in turn moved 01T Ithe table I5, and as soon as the last single bottle or transverse row thereof, as the case may be, is moved onto the shelf portion I4 of the attachment stand, which position is shown by dotted outline as at 5I', in Figure 2, at which time the tiltable table I5 can be moved to the position shown in Figure 1 to receive another crate of bottles. It is thus seen that instead of an operator placing the respective bottles one or two a-t a time upon the receiving table I0 of the lling machine, a larger quantity is supplied to the table in quick succession and at a speed which is limited only by the filling capacity of the machine.

While it is not absolutely essential in the operation of an attachment of the character of that of the present invention, it is preferable to provide the tiltable table with upstanding guard flanges or rails 52 along its opposite side portions to prevent accidental displacement of the bottles laterally from the table during the travel of the bottles toward the receiving table I0 of the lling machine, and to have said guard flanges or rails 52 register in alignment with flared lugs 53 on the shelf portion I4, which latter guide the bottles onto the receiving table I 0.

While the structure illustrated in the drawings embodies a practical adaptation of the present invention, it is obvious that considerable modification and alteration may be made and substituted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specic construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawings.

What is claimed is:

l.. A bottle feeding attachment for lling machines, comprising a tiltable table pivotally mounted in a plane whereby to be movable to a horizontal position in feeding relation to the bottle receiving table of the filling machine, and to a substantially vertical crate receiving position, said tiltable table being counterweighted with overbalancing effect whereby to be selfniovable to horizontal position and normally sustaining a given load thereon in such position, a bottle feeding conveyor on said tiltable table, a motor for driving said conveyor, and means for automatically lenergizing said motor when thetiltable table is moved to horizontal position and for automatically de-energizing the motor when said tiltable table is moved to vertical position.

2. A bottle feeding attachment for filling machines, comprising a supporting stand, a transfer shelf on said stand in the plane of the bottle receiving table of the lling machine, a tiltable table on said stand movable to a horizontal position in cooperative Working relation to said transfer shelf and to a substantially vertical position to receive thereon a crate of bottles to be filled, said tiltable table being counterweighted with overbalancing effect whereby to be self-movable to horizontal position and normally sustaining a given load thereon in such position, an endless conveyor the top flight of which is generally substantially flush with the top face of said tiltable table but having transverse cleats projecting above and extending across table, said cleats having beveled leading edges engaging the bottles on the tiltable tab-le to move them normally from the tiltable table but moving under the bottles when the latter are arrested in their movement from the table, a motor on said tiltable table for driving the endless conveyor, and means for automatically energizing said motor when the tiltable table is moved to its horizontal Working position relative to the transfer shelf and for automatically de-energizing the motor when said table is moved from its horizontal Working position to its vertical crate-receiving position.

the face of the 3. In a bottle feeding attachment for filling machines, a stand having a bottle transfer shelf arranged thereon to align with the bottle receiving table of the filling machine, a tiltable table comprising a body plate portion and a frame comprising triangular end members to which said plate portion is attached, said frame further including a shelf member connecting said triangular end members, the pivotal axis of said table being adjacent the plane of the body plate portion thereof, a crate supporting ledge on the outer side of said body plate portion, an endless conveyor on said tiltable table, the upper run of said conveyor being contiguous to the outer face of said body plate portion, a motor mounted on said shelf member of the table frame, a driving connection between said motor and said conveyor, and stop means for arresting the tilting movement of said table in opposite directions, whereby to support the table in horizontal Working relation to the bottle transfer shelf and in a vertical crate receiving position away from said bottle transfer shelf.

CHARLES O'. BARGE'R. 

